Hub cap and dust cap puller



Feb. 15, 1938. v. L. DU SANG HUB CAP AND DUST CAP FULLER Filed July 11, 1936 5 W U m N T5 M N T m T A Mi M v a I w" Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

The present prevailing method for removing dust caps and hub caps from the wheels of automobiles is to pry them off by the use of a screw driver and hammer. This is very unsatisfactory and often results in marring the paint and chrome finish on the several parts and in damage to-the delicate dust cap holding springs.

The object of this invention is to provide a tool which i will be simple and easy to handle without denting or marring the cap or associated parts and which will not scratch the paint or chromium finish.

The object also is to provide a single tool which is equally applicable for the removal of the dust caps and of the hub caps and as caps are not standardized for all cars another object is to provide a tool which is easily and quicklyadjustable for the removal of caps of a wide range of sizes such as occur on different makes of machines.

The object also is to provide a tool with chisel ends for starting and removal 01 caps which have been driven unduly far and tight.

I accomplish the above and other objects which will hereinafter appear, by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a vertical section of an automobile wheel with my invention applied ready for the operation of the removal of the hub cap;

Fig. 2 shows the puller removed from the wheel as it appears inelevation looking at that side which is lowermost in Fig. l; and v Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a wheel with my invention applied to effect the removal of the dust cap.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

In the form of puller as here shown there is a lever comprising a handle portion 5, preferably of solid metal with the outer corners rounded off to be easy on the hands of the operator and a portion 6 curved to a long radius with a series of pinengaging recesses 1 in its outer periphery forming a rack for use as will be presently explained. The portion 6 is formed with a longitudinal slot 8 extending through it dividing the rack into a double one as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The outer end of the slot is closed bya rounded knob 9, here shown as being integral with the bar 6.

A second lever has a handle portion l0 and an integral portion H reduced in width to pass through the slot '8 in the lever previouslydescribed with a close sliding fit. The inner end' of the flattened portion l I, after it is passed through the slot 1 is flattened to an edge l2 and broadened sufliciently to prevent the withdrawal of the portion ll through slot 8, and also to somewhat in crease the bearing at edge l2.

Passing through the portion ll remotely adjacent to the edge I! is a pin I 3, the projecting ends of which form trunnions that engage oppo- 5 site pin recesses l in the bifurcated member 6 of the first described lever. The pin forms a fulcrum about which the two levers operate. The flattened end of the lever I 0 beyond the pin I3 is preferably curved as shown in Fig. l to insure greater clearance between the puller and the hub of the wheel.

The opposite orouter end of portion I II is curved to form an upturned chisel end i5 and the corresponding end of portion 5 of the other lever is bent and formed into a spoon-like member l6 which is frequently serviceable for starting the removal of hub caps that have been driven in too tight for engagement by the edge l2, or for removal of extra large dust caps.

The hub caps II are usually retained by leaf springs I 8 and the hub caps l9 are driven into the hub sleeves to be retained by friction.

In the operation of my-puller for removing a hub cap ll, the operator takes a lever in each hand and adjusts them by seating the fulcrumpin I3 in the most appropriate recesses 1. This varies with the size of the cap I1 and construction otherwise of the hub and wheel. Still holding a lever in each hand, the knob 9 is introduced to bear against a recess of the rim of the wheel, the levers are spread and the edge I2 is' contacted with the adjacent rim of the hub cap and the lever I 0 is pulled up until the cap is loosened and is ready to fall away. Then, with the right hand holding and moving the portion ill, the left hand may be free to -catch the hub cap as it falls out.

The removal of the dust cap is accomplished in a similar manner, as illustrated in Fig. 3. If the cap is in extremely tight it may be necessary to start it with the chisel edge I 5, and it may be necessary in some cases to change the puller from one side to the other when the release is stubborn. 5

Many ways for changing the fulcrum between the two levers will occur to a skilled mechanic, and of assembling them other than by passing one lever through a slotted portion of the other and I do not desire to be limited to the structure shown or any more than is required by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a hub cap and dust cap puller, a lever formed as a handle at one end and having the opposite end formed to bear against a portion of a wheel, said lever being slotted longitudinally for an appreciable distance beginning near the bearing end, in combination with a second lever passing through the slot in the first lever, means for fulcruming the two levers together at selective places in the slot, said second lever having a handle portion on the same side of the fulcrum as the handle of the first lever and said second lever having its other end formed to contact with a cap and unseat it when the handle ends of both levers are moved apart and manipulated.

2. In a hub cap and dust cap puller, a lever formed as a handle at one end and having the opposite end formed to bear against a portion of a wheel, said lever being slotted longitudinally for an appreciable distance beginning near the bearing end in combination with a second lever passing through the slot in the first lever, means for fulcruming the two levers together at selective places in the slot, said second lever having a handle portion on the same side of the fulcrum as the handle of the first lever and said second lever having its other end formed to contact with a cap and unseat it when the handle ends of both levers are moved apart and manipulated, the handle ends of both levers terminating with bent hooks;

3. In a hub cap and dust cap puller, a lever formed as a handle at one end and curved at its opposite portion and terminating with an end to contact a part of a wheel, said curved portion being longitudinally slotted and having a series of recesses in its convex side, in combination with a second lever passing through the slot in the first lever and having trunnions on opposite sides to enter selective ones of the recesses to fulcrum the two levers together at selective places in the slot, said second lever having a handle portion on the same side of the fulcrum as the handle of the first lever and said second lever having its other end bent in opposite direction from the curve of the first lever and broadened and thinned to a chisel-like edge at the end to contact with a cap and unseat it when the handle ends of both levers are moved apart and manipulated.

4. A hub and dust cap remover comprising in combination, a lever, a plurality of serrations along the under side of the lever toward one end, a second lever, a trunnion on the second lever formed to engage selectively in said serrations, said first lever having a nose for engaging a relatively fixed object adjacent the cap to be removed and to extend therefrom over the cap, and said second lever having an outer end formed to engage over and behind a projection on the cap, said second lever being so located in reference to the first lever as to have'said trunnion as near said nose end as possible, and to cross said first lever whereby the remover may be operated by lifting up on the second lever by one hand and the removed cap caught by the other hand of the operator.

VIRGlL L. DU SANG. 

